Dickinson EDC discusses scaling back picnic grounds project after costs swell

The Dickinson Economic Development Corporation (EDC) spent more than two hours on March 10 considering cost increases and design changes to the planned Dickinson Picnic Grounds development, including options to scale the project back to a pavilion and phase later additions.

Board and staff members told residents the original project budget of $2.2 million omitted multiple soft costs and site requirements; more recent estimates are in the low millions higher, with one figure discussed as roughly $3.3 million. Staff and the board repeatedly said they will return to Structure Tone — the current contractor — for value-engineering to determine what can be completed within the EDC’s original budget and what must be deferred.

Why it matters: The Picnic Grounds is positioned as a community destination intended to attract residents and visitors, and board members said delivering elements that citizens repeatedly requested — trails, playgrounds, vendor areas and public restrooms — remains a priority. At the same time, trustees expressed concern about the EDC’s other commitments and the consequences of expanding the project cost beyond their established budget.

EDC staff reviewed the original scope and a more recent Structure Tone bid, identifying specific cost drivers. Staff said the original 2,400-square-foot event center and separate concession/restroom building were consolidated into a single 4,400-square-foot public building with additional pavilion space, and that the combined configuration increased average per-square-foot cost pressures. Staff highlighted several changes that raised costs: a necessary 18-inch elevation of the building pad prompted by floodplain/FEMA guidance, higher concrete prices, additional engineered site work and previously omitted soft costs such as bonding and construction fencing.

Residents and business owners urged the board to prioritize the park features they said the community expected. Galen Neiser, a Dickinson resident, said the original appeal of the picnic grounds was walking trails, playgrounds, pickleball courts and vendor areas; he argued the proposed event center is oversized and lacks practical features such as offices, a bridal room or on-site staff for evening events. “Would y’all please consider tonight to give the citizens what they really wanted,” Neiser told the board.

Board members and others raised alternatives. Several trustees said eliminating the enclosed event building and building a pavilion instead would remove the need for large amounts of select fill and many building-specific costs, potentially allowing the EDC to stay within the original budget while preserving public amenities. Board member Walter Wilson and others emphasized preferring a project that could be phased: deliver park attractions now and add a building later only if funding and a sustainable operations plan exist.

Staff said roughly $170,000–$175,000 has already been spent on design and engineering. Staff and board members also flagged other quantifiable items mentioned during the discussion: concrete estimates increased from about $145,000 in the original basis to roughly $226,000 in current bids; concrete unit pricing used in the original budget (about $135 per cubic yard) is now nearer $160 per cubic yard; bonding and insurance requirements were estimated near $90,000; and certain field or construction rental costs were shown at roughly $44,500. Staff said the original basis for the 2.2 million estimate lacked an engineer, geotechnical report and detailed drawings, and that those omissions help explain later increases after full site evaluation.

Several board members said comparisons of the original contractor’s quoted price and the current Structure Tone bid were effectively “apples to oranges” because the EDC changed contractors and because fuller engineering and FEMA-driven elevation requirements were not included in earlier estimates. Board member Travis Magliolo asked what, if any, contractual protections exist when a project’s scope or costs change; staff replied that prior estimates had no binding contract and that the EDC could not pursue remedies against an outside estimator when there was no executed contract.

No formal vote was taken on the Picnic Grounds during the meeting. Board members agreed to ask Structure Tone for drawing revisions aimed at returning the project to the original budget range where possible, while also exploring a scaled-back pavilion option and a phased approach. Several trustees said they would like to present a revised recommendation to City Council at the next meeting.

The board also acknowledged unresolved operational questions — staffing, reservation systems and a public operations policy — that must be finalized before an event building could be opened and managed. Staff said a merchant account and reservation functionality are being prepared but will not be published until the facility plan is finalized.

Board members closed the workshop portion by signaling they would continue the discussion in closed session on related matters and then return with a recommendation for council consideration.